Unakite Scarab Beetle

Unakite scarab carved cabochon.

Beautiful unakite carved scarab carved both on top and at the back

Size : 18mm x 13 mm

The ancient Egyptians thought of the sacred scarab, a dung-eating beetle, as a holy animal. It was used as a symbol of the sun because of its circular shape and bright golden colors. They believed that the scarab was one of the forms under which their sun-god appeared. When the beetles rolled the ball of dung along the ground, the ancient Egyptians thought it was like the sun crossing over the earth during each day.

The scarab figure was often carved on precious stones and worn as beads or other jewelry. These carvings were used as charms and were thought to bring good luck, or to keep away evil. Official seals were made in this shape, too. These artifacts are now known as scarabs. Additionally, the scarab figure can also be seen on Egyptian monuments.

Why would people worship a dung beetle? To the Egyptians and other ancient civilizations, dung beetles symbolized immortality. They saw the beetles disappear in the earth, and later to come back out as if resurrected, or reborn. The revolving ball of dung was thought to represent the rotation of the earth, rotated by a celestial scarab.